High density digital subscriber line splitter

Abstract

An electronic assembly and digital subscriber line splitter. The splitter includes a subrack housing, a plurality of splitter port cards, a connector card and an edge card. The splitter port cards each include a plurality of splitter ports and are disposed within the housing between, and in substantially perpendicular relation to, the first side and the second side. The connector card is disposed adjacent, and in substantially parallel relation, to the back of the housing and includes a plurality of external connectors that extend through the openings through the back of the housing. The edge card is disposed in substantially parallel relation to the connector card, includes a plurality of internal connectors disposed in electrical communication with the external connectors of the connector card, and is removably attached to each of the splitter port cards such that each splitter port is in electrical communication with one of the external connectors of the connector card.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A digital subscriber line splitter comprising: 
 a subrack housing comprising a top, a bottom, a first side, a second side, a front, and a back through which a plurality of openings are disposed;    at least two splitter cards disposed within said housing between, and in substantially perpendicular relation to, said first side and said second side, wherein each of said splitter port cards comprises a plurality of splitter ports;    a connector card disposed adjacent, and in substantially parallel relation, to said back of said housing, said connector card comprising a plurality of external connectors that extend through said plurality of openings through said back of said housing; and    an edge card disposed in substantially parallel relation to said connector card, wherein said edge card comprises a plurality of internal connectors disposed in electrical communication with said external connectors of said connector card, and wherein said edge card is removably attached to each of said splitter cards such that each splitter port is in electrical communication with one of said external connectors of said connector card.    
     
     
         2 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said external connectors is a fifty-pin connector.  
     
     
         3 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each of said external connectors provides a connection of a type selected from a group consisting of a digital subscriber line connection, a public switched telephone network connection, and a loop connection.  
     
     
         4 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 3  wherein each of said splitter ports is in electrical communication with three external connectors, wherein one of said external connectors provides a digital subscriber line connection, another of said external connectors provides a public switched telephone network connection, and a third of said connectors provides a loop connection  
     
     
         5 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  comprising six splitter cards.  
     
     
         6 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 5  wherein each of said splitter cards comprises twenty-four splitter ports.  
     
     
         7 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 6  comprising eighteen external connectors, wherein six of said external connectors provide digital subscriber line connections, two of said external connectors provide public switched telephone network connection, and six of said connectors provides a loop connection.  
     
     
         8 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  comprising two splitter cards.  
     
     
         9 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each of said splitter cards comprises twenty-four splitter ports.  
     
     
         10 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 9  comprising six external connectors, wherein two of said external connectors provide digital subscriber line connections, two of said external connectors provide public switched telephone network connection, and two of said connectors provides a loop connection.  
     
     
         11 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each of said splitter cards further comprises a stiffening member.  
     
     
         12 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 11  wherein each of said splitter cards further comprises a combination locking and ejector tab.  
     
     
         13 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said subrack housing is dimensioned to fit within an electronic rack chosen from a group consisting of a nineteen inch rack and a twenty three inch rack.  
     
     
         14 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said front of said subrack housing is a removable front cover and wherein said housing is dimensioned allows splitter cards to be replaced when said front cover is removed.  
     
     
         15 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said front of said subrack housing is a rotatable front cover and wherein said housing is dimensioned allows splitter cards to be replaced when said front cover is rotated.  
     
     
         16 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  wherein each of said splitter ports comprises a signature circuit, a low pass filter circuit, a high frequency bypass circuit, a resonant tank circuit, an over current protection circuit, and a single-order high-pass filter circuit.  
     
     
         17 . The digital subscriber line splitter as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said connector card comprises a plurality of header strips and said edge card comprises a plurality of socket strips, and wherein said header strips and said socket strips are dimensioned to mate together to place said edge card into electrical communication with said connector card.  
     
     
         18 . An electronic assembly comprising 
 a subrack housing comprising a top, a bottom, a first side, a second side, a front, and a back through which a plurality of openings are disposed;    at least two circuit cards disposed within said housing between, and in substantially perpendicular relation to, said first side and said second side, each of said circuit cards comprising a plurality of circuits;    a connector card disposed adjacent, and in substantially parallel relation, to said back of said housing, said connector card comprising a plurality of external connectors that extend through said plurality of openings through said back of said housing; and    an edge card disposed in substantially parallel relation to said connector card, wherein said edge card comprises a plurality of internal connectors disposed in electrical communication with said external connectors of said connector card, and wherein said edge card is removably attached to each of said circuit cards such that each circuit is in electrical communication with one of said external connectors of said connector card.    
     
     
         19 . The electronic assembly as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said connector card comprises a plurality of header strips and said edge card comprises a plurality of socket strips, and wherein said header strips and said socket strips are dimensioned to mate together to place said edge card into electrical communication with said connector card.  
     
     
         20 . The electronic assembly as claimed in  claim 18  wherein said edge card is attached to said connector card by at least one nonconductive spacer.